Sputnik, a state-controlled search engine to compete against Yandex and Google

The Sputnik search engine, which is expected to launch anytime in 2014, will be the latest entrant into the search engines list. According to Mashable, Sputnik will be a state-controlled search engine under the Rostelecom telecom service and will be competing directly with the local search giant, Yandex, and Google.

Despite the late entry into this area, many local search engines outside of the United States control a large portion of search traffic. Yandex, for example, generates 62 percent of search in Russia with Google at number two with 25 percent. Search targeting beyond Google is thus an important marketing goal for midsize companies looking to reach more potential customers.

Giving Search Priority

Senior IT executives with search engine experience are well aware that search traffic contributes to smarter commerce. In most cases, such traffic is targeted and has a good chance of conversion. In the case of the Sputnik search engine, the goal is to target ordinary web users at the level of competition with no filtering of objectionable content. IT search professionals can take into consideration these new ways of reaching a new demographics through targeted searches that are bound to show up based on locations or search terms used.

Search traffic offers very targeted leads; people who are looking for a certain product or service with a view to making a purchase. These visitors are usually in a buying mode and having a focused marketing method through search optimization is bound to deliver. By ensuring that content posted on the company website or other online resource is optimized for these search engines, the likelihood of these new entrants picking up this content is drastically improved.

A New Search Avenue Means No Competition

Since the Sputnik search engine is a new entrant, it offers a level playing ground for any brand, organization or entity getting started into search. This is a great opportunity to get some real estate on search and promote brands while offering them the same level of viewership as other established brands. IT executives that are looking to get their feet wet into search are now in a position to onboard and reap real and immediate benefits from search.

In addition, new entrants like Sputnik can offer small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) a new approach to search with nothing to lose. For these midsize enterprises who are likewise new to search, they can go in with everything to gain.